Redemption
by Idiot Jed1
Summary: LAST TWO SECTIONS ADDED With the help of Wesley's Watcher friend, Angel attempts to become fully human. A little C/A, W/Fr, OFC/OMC
1. Part One

Disclaimer:  All recognizable characters belong to Whedon, Greenwalt, ME, and the WB.  

A/N: This is one of my first fics, written during Season 3 and set before the Sleep Tight/Loyalty arc.  Therefore, please excuse the Wes/Fred shippiness (ugh) and the Mary Sues. :P

Ratings: Mentions of "the sex," so we'll go with PG-13 to be on the safe side.

Wesley Wyndham-Pryce felt his glasses begin to slide down his nose yet again.  Sighing, he pushed them back up to their proper position and used that distraction to look away from the text he was translating.  He glanced around the office, stretching and then refocused his attentions on the Torflakk scroll.  Cordelia had a vision two days earlier that the Torflakk demon clan would try to retrieve an Orb of Kaul from a former lair in downtown L.A tonight.  Angel was able to go and find it before they arrived, and later the demons would find a couple warriors with weapons instead.  But before that, Wesley hoped to discover the significance of the orb.

"Hey, Wes—whassup?  Any news on the Orb thing?"  Gunn entered the office, followed closely by a smiling Fred.

"Hi Wesley."

Fred sat in the visitor's chair, while Gunn perched on the end of the desk; both patiently waited while Wes finished translating a section, mumbling to himself and holding one finger in the air.  Finishing the sentence, he looked up at the two and smiled.

"I'm getting somewhere, but not nearly fast enough."  He paused, confused.  "What time is it?"

"8:30 AM," Fred replied, a concerned smile appearing on her face.

"No…"

"Yes.  Good morning, Wes.  Have you been working on this all night?" Gunn asked, laughing.

"Oh my good…yes.  I'm going home."

He stood and began to gather his papers together when Cordy joined the others in the office.  "Wes?  There's someone named Drew Carrington to see you."

"Drew?!  Send him in!"

Cordelia left, only to return shortly with a slightly older, dignified-looking man.  Wesley rounded the desk to shake his hand, greeting what appeared to be an old friend.  Turning to the others, he introduced the members of Angel Investigations.

"Everyone," he continued, "this is Andrew Carrington, my mentor when I was training with the Watcher's Council."

****

December, 1982

            Anne Trauer snuck over to her bedroom door and listened for sounds of activity.  Determined that her parents were indeed asleep, she picked up the phone in her room and dialed a familiar number.  The phone on the other end only rang once before it was answered.

            "Hello?" a British voice inquired.

            "Hey, it's me."

            "What's wrong?  Why aren't you here yet?"

            "Ugh, sorry.  My mom insisted we talk about my grade on that Biology exam.  Then, Mom and Dad got into a big fight.  I thought they'd never go to bed."

            "Is everything okay?"

            "As okay as always.  I'll do a quick sweep of the park before heading over to your place.  Jenny thinks she saw something suspicious there when she drove past with her mom earlier tonight."

            "Sure.  Do you want me to meet you there?"

            "No, I'll be fine.  See you soon."

            "You bet.  I love you."

            "Love ya, too."

            Anne hung up and then walked over to her bed, opening the Hope Chest at its foot.  She lifted out the false bottom and removed a stake.  Replacing the bottom, she glanced at a picture of her best friend, Jenny Samson, resting on top of various youthful treasures that belied the hidden contents below.  Jenny was the only on who knew that Anne was the Slayer, and often helped her out on big assignments, even though Anne worried terribly about her safety.  They had been best friends for years, though, and there were no secrets between them.  Not even about Anne's love affair with their History teacher, who just also happened to be Anne's Watcher.  It made sense to the three of them—not only were they close in age (Drew was a prodigal Watcher at age 23; she was mature well beyond her 17—and a half—years due to her Slayer experiences), but more importantly this love was meant to be.  They realized it after a few months, and they didn't care if it wouldn't be approved of—who knew how long a time they would have together?

            Anne stood resolutely and walked over to the open window.  Climbing onto a nearby tree branch while gripping the stake was difficult, but she had practice.  She dropped off the branch to the ground and ran quietly into the dark night.

****

            Nearly two hours after they had left for breakfast, the two Britons returned to Angel Investigations, laughing over some happy memory.  Angel was standing in the Hyperion lobby, trying to calm a fussy Connor; he turned to greet them, already informed of Drew's presence.

            "Hello, you must be Drew Carrington."

            "And you must be Angel.  Pleasure to meet you."  The two shook hands and Drew seemed reluctant to release his grip.  He stared curiously at Angel for a few seconds.  "Most intriguing."

            Wesley cleared his throat in an attempt to admonish his friend.

            "That's okay," laughed Angel.  "Would you like to see my game face?"  He immediately morphed into his vampire visage, causing Drew to step back in shock.

            Returning to his human face, Angel smiled at Drew, who could only manage a "huh."

            "This is my son, Connor, by the way."

            "Yes, Wesley explained everything to me.  Most curious, indeed."

            "So, what brings you to L.A.?"

            "Well, I recently retired from active service with the Watcher's Council and I've been doing some research in the south of France.  Unfortunately, I hit a rut in my research, and was trying to find a way out of it.  I found myself with the irresistible urge to visit my old protégé here, so there you are."

            "Well, you can stay here as long as you'd like.  Rent's, well, free."  
            "Thank you.  I hope to hit some tourist spots, actually, so I might have to take you up on your kind offer."

            "Well, it just so happens that tonight we'll be in a charming old section of the downtown, hopefully surprising a group of Torflakk demons, so if you feel like joining us…"

            Drew laughed.  "Maybe I will."

****

            Anne sighed sadly as she leaned into Drew's arm.  She had just finished patrolling; she had only encountered one vamp, but unfortunately he had been an acquaintance.  Anne hated dusting people she actually knew—well, had known.  Drew tightened his grip at the sadness in her voice and looked down at her with sympathy.

            "I wish I could make it better."

            "You do." Anne leaned up for a kiss, which continued to grow deeper.

            They stretched out on the couch, and Anne hungrily kissed him, trying to forget her earlier actions.  However, after several minutes, Drew pulled away. They were at the level they usually stopped; Anne had never been in a relationship this serious before and Drew respected her decision to wait.  Tonight, though, Anne pulled him in for more.

To Be Continued.  Please review!


	2. Part Two

A/N:  Sorry about the length of this chapter.  Also, to clarify the timeline bit—I WROTE it before Sleep Tight aired, but it's actually in a somewhat-AU where Cordy returns without Groo, and Wesley never naps the kid.  And for those having trouble with the time jumps, the 4 *s indicate a jump either back (and the flashbacks happen chronologically) to 1982 or to the "present," which is also happening chronologically.  OK, here we go…

Redemption, Part Two

            Angel slid open the large, rusty door as quietly as he could.

            "Why is it always an abandoned warehouse?" he whispered to Wesley and Drew.  "Honestly, I need some variety in my life."

            The three entered the warehouse, carefully listening for any signs that Cordy, Fred, and Gunn had experienced problems getting in a back door.  When silence greeted them, they cautiously began to walk down an aisle, weapons brandished.  They reached the center of the building, where Angel had found the stored orb days earlier.  Soon after, the others joined them and they prepared for the clan to arrive.  A loud bang of a door closing, followed by an audible conversation in Torflakk and a putrid odor, heralded the entrance of the demons.

            "Ready, guys?" Angel asked, lifting his sword.  The others nodded, grouping into a circle, their backs to each other.

            Six demons entered the aisle and roared when they saw the group in the middle.  They charged and frenzied fighting began.  Gunn and Fred teamed up against one demon, while the others each took on one.  The demon fighting Angel ran up a different aisle, with Angel in pursuit.  Despite a soon-to-be-nasty bruise on Gunn's face and a cut across Drew's arm, the others managed to defeat the remaining demons—three were dead, while the other two escaped.  They began to regroup and tried to figure out where Angel and the other demon had gone.

            Meanwhile, Angel finally caught the escaping demon and began to wrestle with him.  The demon landed a solid punch and Angel fell to the ground.  The demon stood menacingly above him and was preparing to attack when he started to gurgle.  He turned around, dropping to his knees.  Angel could see a knife hilt sticking out of his back.  Sputtering, the demon fell to the floor, dead.  Breathing heavily, though unnecessarily, the vampire tore his eyes from the demon to thank whichever friend had helped him, only to see an unfamiliar brunette reaching down to him.

            "Hi."

            "Hello," she responded.

            "I'm Angel.  Who are you?"

            "I'm the Slayer."

****

December, 1982

            In the pre-dawn light, Anne walked slowly down the street, smiling to herself as she remembered the night spent with Drew.  When he first arrived in town, she hated him so much.  He had, after all, basically destroyed her life.  Now, she couldn't imagine her life without him.  Their relationship and her duty as the Slayer had given her existence so much meaning.  She loved every day they spent together and every night they fought side by side in their joint cause.  

            A scream snapped her out of her reverie as she neared the park.  She broke into a run, aiming towards the swings where three baddies tussled with someone—a female by the sound of the scream.  She grabbed the closest one's shoulder and forced him to face her—yep, definitely vampires.  She punched him and followed it with a kick to the stomach.  He stumbled back into the swings.  The other two turned on her and she fought them both simultaneously with a mixture of martial arts and street smarts.  She staked one just in time for the first vampire to regain his bearing and charge her.  Quickly turning, Anne staked him and faced the final vamp.  He snarled at her and then fled.  Rather than chasing him, she switched her attention to their teenage victim, who was slowly rising from the ground, winded.

            "JENNY?!"

            "Oh, Anne!  Thank you so much!"

            "What are you doing here?"

            "I didn't know if you were able to patrol tonight, so I thought I'd check it out myself.  I don't know what I would have done if you…hadn't…oh, Anne!  That's the closest it's ever been!"

            Anne pulled her friend in for a hug.  Jenny began sobbing incoherently, clutching her friend tightly.

            "Shh, Jenny.  It's ok.  You're going to be fine.  I'm here."

            Jenny began to breathe normally.  She whispered into Anne's ear, "Too bad you were hours too late."

            Anne pulled back, confused.  Jenny had morphed into a hideous monster, teeth protruding, eyes glowing.  

            "Tricked ya."

            Anne was too shocked to react; she could only cry out at the sharp puncture as her friend lunged into her neck.

****

            "The Slayer?  Sorry, I know both Slayers.  One's a petite blonde; the other's in jail."

            "Well, rather, I'm A Slayer.  You're the vampire with a soul, right?  You could say we have a lot in common.  I'm not a Vampire Slayer so much as a Vampire-Slayer."

            Angel stared at her.  "Huh?"

            "I was called in 1981 and turned in 1982."

            Realization hit, and Angel stood up.

            "Really?  Weird."

            "Yeah, I guess.  So, Torflakk demons, huh?"

            "Oh, thanks, by the way.  You really helped me out just then."

            "No problem.  I'm hoping you can do the same."

            "What's that?"

            The woman—vampire—reached down and removed her knife from the demon's body.  Wiping it off on the demon's tunic, she replaced it in a holster strapped to her shin.  Looking back at Angel, she began to speak earnestly.

            "These demons had an Orb of Kaul.  You've retrieved it?"

            "Yes, but we have no idea what it does.  I have a former Watcher working for me…well, rather, I work for…never mind.  He's trying to figure out what it's for, but hasn't been able to accurately translate the scrolls yet."

            "That's okay.  I know what it does.  If you'll hook me up with some pig's blood, I'll explain everything."

            "Deal."

            Angel started towards where he had left the others and his new acquaintance followed.  Before they made it a few steps, the rest ran into the aisle.  Realizing Angel was fine, they all skidded to a halt.  They stared at the two, confused.

            "Oh, everyone, this is…"

            Drew stepped around Wesley and into the light cast by an overhanging lamp.  He approached the vampires, his mouth hanging open.

            "Anne?"

            "She looked back at him with equal amounts of fear and shock.  "Drew?"

****

            Drew Carrington paced his small office nervously.  Anne usually called him when she got home, but she hadn't last night.  He didn't remind her, though, and so he figured she had forgotten.  Rather than wake her parents, he chose not to call her.  However, Anne and Jenny were both absent from eighth period history that day, and neither one's parents had called in an excused absence.

            He turned and walked to his desk once more.  Feeling useless, he picked up his coat off the back of the chair and walked out the door.  Although it was still light out, the sun had already set that winter evening and the air was brisk.  He rubbed his hands together as he hurried towards his car.  Upon reaching it, he felt in his pocket for his keys and laughed when he grabbed a stake instead.

            "These things are everywhere," he mumbled as he finally unlocked the door.  
            "DREW!"

            He whirled at the sound of Jenny's voice.

            "Jenny, where have you been?  I've been so worried about you two!"

            "I'm sorry!  There was a thing."

            "What happened?  Where's Anne?"

            Drew reached out, concerned, and placed his hand on Jenny's shoulder.  She was visibly shaken and pale.

            "She's dead."

            It was as if the world stopped.  Drew couldn't find any words to form a response.  Jenny could only nod.

            "Yes, she's dead.  I killed her."

            The vampire that had replaced Anne's best friend rose to the surface, attacking the Watcher.  In shock, he blindly struck out in defense.  The petite girl fell to the ground, growling.  She leapt back to her feet and rushed the teacher.  He reached in his pocket, grabbing the stake.  As she slammed into him, he maneuvered the stake in front of her heart and mourned his young friend as she turned to dust.


	3. Part Three

A/N:  Well, I usually spend Wednesday mornings reading Buffy post-eps, but I'm still so freaking pissed about Xander's eye, I decided to update this earlier than planned.  Thanks to everyone for all the feedback; I really appreciate it.  Reclusive watermelon…, this chapter's for you.

Redemption, Part 3

            The battered group silently entered the front door of the Hyperion Hotel.  They awkwardly, momentarily gathered into a circle, and then the members of Angel Investigations quickly broke away with hurried excuses, leaving Drew and Anne alone in the lobby.

            Drew broke the silence first.  "What?  I don't…"

            "I'm a vampire," Anne quietly stated.

            "But how can you be so…aware?"

            Anne sighed and sat on the circular couch in the center of the lobby.  "The only explanation I've ever been able to think of is, it's because I'm the Slayer.  I mean, there's that whole primal mentality that I'm the good guy, you know?  That personality was so strong, it was able to defeat the demons, even inside of me."

            "Why didn't—" Drew sat by her.  "Why didn't you ever come to me?  Why did you disappear?  I never knew…"

            "I'm sorry.  I guess I thought it would be easier.  It wasn't, though, not for me.  There were so many times when I would just watch you, check up on you from a distance."

            "I died, too, that day."

            "I know.

            In the back office of the Hyperion, the other five sat talking about their latest encounter.

            "So this Drew guy was Anne's Watcher, and they were in love?" Gunn recapped.

            "Yes, so it appears," replied Wesley.

            "I don't get it though; how could he not know?"  Gunn pressed.

            Angel spoke up.  "She never told him.  I imagine she didn't feel that he could ever see her the same."

            "Man, it still makes no sense.  They obviously love each other a great deal.  I can't believe she wouldn't have at least tried.  I mean, he might have loved her still."

            "Gunn, it's not that she was afraid he couldn't feel the same way.  She couldn't feel the same way about herself.  Aware of her human traces as she was, she still knew there was a demon inside of her.  I imagine she was…ashamed to face him.  She probably felt like she had failed both her lover and Watcher.  He could love her to the end of his days, but that didn't mean she could feel she was offering him what he deserved."  Angel broke off and looked down at the desk.

            Wesley added, "Not to mention the fact that Watchers train for the inevitable, even if it means ridding the world of the woman you swore to guide and protect.  She knew that, and I imagine she still had enough of the Slayer's will to live to be afraid of that threat.  She obviously wants to live, even if it means survival as something she despises."

            The conversation ended abruptly as Anne and Drew joined the others in the office.  There was less visible awkwardness, as if they had come to some understanding, but a barrier still remained between the two.  Before she had a chance to greet them, Anne was distracted by the orb resting on the desk.

            Angel cleared his throat.  "You were going to explain the Orb to us?"

            Anne turned to face the others.  "Yes.  From as near as I can tell, the Orb has many different abilities and powers, but the Torflakk demons had a specific purpose for it.  In my research, I discovered that the clan is not a pure breed.  They have human traces in them, which, of course, they hate. The orb is able to separate out demon and human elements.  The demon clan wanted to remove the taint of humans and rise again to the pure level they once had.  Of course, this would also increase their power, strength, and destructive tendencies."

            "Good thing we beat them to it."

            Wesley looked thoughtfully at the two vampires.  "You're missing the point, Angel.  The Powers led us to this orb for a reason.  I think your quest is done.  Unless I'm misunderstanding Anne, the orb can also be used to separate the demon aspect from the two of you.  You could become fully human again."

            Anne faced the younger Watcher.  "You're absolutely correct."

To Be Continued.  Please review!


	4. Part Four

Redemption, Part 4

            The two Watchers pored over their various texts, trying to quickly translate the remaining passages.  Down the hall, Gunn inventoried the swords they had confiscated from the dead demons, while Fred and Cordelia put Connor to sleep and discussed the latest events.

            "Can you imagine what it must be like for those two?  Seeing each other again after everything they went through?  Still being that much in love after so long?" Fred asked dreamily as she bent over Connor.

            Cordelia looked up from the floor where she was folding the baby's clothes.  "I can't really imagine, no.  I don't think I've ever been that much in love."

            Fred turned to her, sadly.  "Me neither."  She paused, then continued slowly.  "Was it hard for you to ask Groo to leave?"

            "No, not really.  It wasn't fair to either of us.  He wanted his princess, and I wasn't willing to risk enough to be with him.  I think that shows the extent of your love for someone—the risk you're willing to put yourself through for the other person.  You have to be ready to give it all up."  Cordelia narrowed her eyes.  "Why do you ask?"

            Fred sighed and turned back to the baby.  Cordelia barely heard her answer.  "I'm going to break up with Gunn."  She faced Cordy.  "I care about him; I do.  But not enough.  We don't really have that much in common beyond the physical aspect.  We've been dating for the same amount of time that Drew and Anne had before she turned.  Drew still loves her after 20 years, even if it's the memory he loves more.  I don't think I'd mourn Gunn that long.  I don't feel that strongly for him, and I don't see that changing.  I think it's best to hurt him more now than hurt us both in the long run.  He's just not the guy for me."

            Cordy reached out to hug her friend.  "If that's the way you feel, I think it's probably for the best."

            In the kitchen of the hotel, Angel was also hugging a new friend as she cried into his shoulder.  Their respective glasses of blood stood forgotten on the table.

            "I just—I never expected…"  Anne sobbed.

            "Shhh.  Shh, it's okay.  Everything will work out, I promise."

            Anne pulled away, drying her eyes.  "I'm sorry, Angel.  I didn't mean to break down like that.  Today has just been horrible.  I was almost getting my, well, un-life on track, you know, and this turn of events has me really confused."

            "I understand, really."

            Anne sighed and sat down in the closest chair.  "How do you go on every day, knowing what you are?"

            "Well, it helps that I have these friends, these humans that keep the real me alive.  This monster can be fought.  You've proven that and you were never resouled.  You had that strength to survive.  And it looks like it might pay off now."

            "It's just so hard.  I can't tell you the number of times I've placed a stake near my heart, desperate to push it in.  I've never been able to.  Finding this orb now, when I don't feel like I've really deserved it—I mean, you—you've tried to save people, to atone for your past mistakes.  What have I done that I can be rewarded like this?"

            "Anne, you were the Slayer.  The Powers That Be know that, know the sacrifices you made to serve them in your lifetime.  They wouldn't just let it end with you suffering as a vampire.  I think that's partly why you were able to maintain such lucidity."

            Anne looked over at Angel and smiled.  "Thanks." She was about to say something else when a sound alerted her to people coming.  She looked up and saw the two Watchers standing in the doorway, smiling.

            "We've finished translating the incantations.  Gunn's collecting the supplies.  We'll have to go back to the Torflakk lair in order to do the spell on their sacred ground."  Wesley informed the two vampires.  Angel looked at Anne.  She nodded.  "Let's go."


	5. Part Five

Redemption, Part Five

The others stood patiently in a circle as Drew and Wesley prepared the materials for the spell.  As if it sensed what was about to come, the Orb had begun to softly glow on the way to the warehouse.  Wesley added the final ingredient to the mortar, which subsequently began to release a purple flame.

            "We're ready, but we can only do one of you at a time."

            The two vampires looked at each other.  Anne began to gesture but Angel interrupted.  "Anne first.  Just call it my final service to the Powers."

            The others nodded and Anne stepped to the center of the circle.  She took a deep breath as Wesley began speaking the incantation.

            "AAARGH!"  Five Torflakk demons rushed the group, who fell out of their circle formation.  Confused, it took several seconds for them to counterattack.  Gunn managed to disarm one demon, while Cordelia and Fred kicked and punched another.  Angel was temporarily at a disadvantage as the demon he fought overpowered him, but he was able to retake the fight and threw the demon to the ground.  Anne snapped the neck of a demon and turned to see Drew being forced back as he fenced a sword-wielding demon with a pipe he had picked up from the warehouse floor, cradling the orb in his other arm.  The demon knocked the pipe from Drew's hand and pulled back to strike.  Anne raced across the distance in time to be speared through the gut with the demon's sword.  Her vampire face appeared, but she quickly subdued it.  The demon growled as he removed the sword and swung back.  Anne dropped her knees and looked sadly at Drew, clutching her bleeding stomach.

            "I'm sorry.  I love—"  she mouthed at him as the demon's sword decapitated her.

            Drew cried out as his former lover turned to dust, then rose to face the demon that had killed her.  He charged and the demon struck him.  Drew fell to the ground, dropping the orb to the floor.  When it shattered into several glass fragments, the demon roared in fury.  Angel used the distraction to break the neck of the demon he had been fighting and raced to rescue Drew.

            The rest of the fight ended quickly as Angel, Gunn and Wesley killed the remaining demons.  Angel reached down to Drew and helped him to his feet.  The group gathered around the broken shards of the Orb, looking down at them helplessly.

            Wes had just finished placing the translated Torflakk scrolls into a filing cabinet when Fred entered his office.

            "Hi, Wes.  Did Drew's flight get off all right?"

            Wes smiled at her as he walked back to his desk.  "Yes, indeed.  He told me he was thinking of returning to active Watcher service."

            Fred sat down.  "Do you…do you miss being a Watcher, Wesley?"

            He looked surprised at the question and paused before answering.  "Yes, sometimes.  I was a very ineffectual Watcher.  I don't blame Drew for the bad training, but nevertheless I wasn't prepared to face the real life situations inherent in being a good Watcher.  I often wonder if I'd be better, now that I have more experience."

            "Well, we'd miss you if you left us.  I think you're pretty important to this team.  I don't know…what we'd do without you."

            Wes smiled at her.  "Thank you Fred.  That means a lot."

            "Why did Drew want to go back to active service?"

            Wes laughed.  "He said that he had lived in the past too long.  He wanted to make a difference with his life, and deal with things not in an ancient text."

            Fred and Wes simultaneously looked down at the books scattered across his desk and began to laugh.  He looked back up at her.  "Drew might be onto something."

            Fred smiled shyly.  "Wes, would you like to go get some coffee sometime?"

            Wesley grinned.  "Sure, how about now?"

            Upstairs, Angel bent over Connor's crib.  He turned at a near silent footstep to see Cordy cautiously entering the room. 

            "What's up?"

            "How are you?"

            Angel sighed and turned back to his son. "I wish everyone would stop asking me that."

            Cordy joined him at the side of the crib.  "Sorry.  It's just that if I were you, I'd be pretty bummed."

            He shook a teddy bear at the smiling baby, then looked at Cordy.  "It's weird, but I'm not.  I mean, she was the Slayer and the only redemption the Powers could give her was death.  Even when we first learned what the Orb could do, I was skeptical.  It just seems like I haven't done enough.  I thought about Connor and how I would feel if somebody hurt him.  That person could never repay me enough.  I haven't earned it yet; maybe I never will."

            "So, you don't think you'll ever be able to be happy?"

            "No, it's not that.  Angel smiled down at his son.  "I just have to learn to accept the bad with the good.  Isn't that what human life is all about?  So I'll go and I'll fight every night.  But I'll come home to him."  He touched his child's forehead.  "I still have him."  Angel looked over at Cordelia, reached out and pulled her close. "I still have you." He bent down and kissed her forehead.

The End (Grr. Argh.) 

A/N:  Well, that teaches me not to go back to older stories since the ending just thoroughly depressed me knowing what I know.  Sniff.  Poor Angel.  Anyway, please please review!


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